He had already reached the second level of Qi Refining.

Regardless of anything else, just for the sake of cultivation, Wen Jiu needed to become a probationary disciple to obtain the subsequent techniques of the Yinzhou Corpse Nourishing Art. He had already figured it out—since he had decided to make a display of his abilities, he might as well go all out.

This was an opportunity—one that came once in a lifetime.

The Land of Dismembered Corpses stretched for ten miles, and after nightfall, the Yin energy became extremely intense, making it impossible for spiritual senses to fully extend within. Beyond that lay a dense forest spanning a hundred miles—once the enemy disappeared into it, finding them would be like searching for a needle in the ocean.

If it weren't for the trio's greed for the Black Ghoul, this kind of opportunity would have never arisen, and even if it had, they wouldn't have been able to seize it.

"Brother Wang, they've split up."

Making up his mind, Wen Jiu spoke.

The moment his words fell, before Wang Nian could respond, Steward Liu impatiently asked, "Can you still sense their locations?"

As he spoke, he had already pulled out several Dispersing Yin Talismans—far superior to the ones Wang Nian had used earlier to dispel Yin energy.

"They split up in that mountain ravine three breaths ago." Wen Jiu quickly pointed toward the ravine, shrouded in dense Yin energy.

The moment he finished speaking, Steward Liu flew off on his sword, throwing Dispersing Yin Talismans one after another toward the area where the three had separated.

Boom! Boom!

The talismans activated one after another, instantly scattering the Yin energy for hundreds of feet around.

"Killed over a dozen of my Night Patrol Division disciples, and now they want to run?" Steward Liu tossed out more talismans as if they were worthless, his murderous intent growing stronger with each passing moment. Even Wang Nian, standing beside him, felt a chill down his spine.

After throwing down more than ten talismans, two figures were finally exposed before them.

Seeing that the two were wearing the robes of the Night Patrol Division, Steward Liu's rage intensified. Without hesitation, he charged at them on his sword, intent on killing them.

The rest of the Night Patrol Division disciples immediately followed.

Wang Nian was about to move when Wen Jiu stopped him. "Brother Wang, let's go after the other one. I can sense her position."

"Let's go!"

Wang Nian was overjoyed.

After glancing back at the Night Patrol Division, he asked again, "Wen kid, are you sure she's alone?"

"Mm-hmm." Wen Jiu nodded and pointed toward the other side of the Land of Dismembered Corpses.

Wang Nian immediately flew off on his sword, already pulling out several Dispersing Yin Talismans—each of the same quality as Steward Liu's, but instead of his usual frugality, he pulled out four or five at once.

Before Wen Jiu could say anything, Wang Nian spoke hurriedly, "Wen kid, this is your chance—an opportunity that comes once in a lifetime. With your breakthrough to the second level of Qi Refining, becoming a probationary disciple, or even a full-fledged disciple, would normally be more than enough… but the problem is that your cultivation method belongs to the unorthodox path. There aren't many officers who outright detest it, but there are always some who do. That's why you need proof—proof that your breakthrough wasn't achieved by harming your lifespan, damaging your foundation, or recklessly burning your potential."

He continued, "This lone spy is the best proof! But keep in mind—she's a disciple of the Night Patrol Division, so she likely has many techniques and other means at her disposal. And you'll have to face her alone. If I help, it won't count… So, it's up to you how you want to handle it."

Wang Nian's expression was serious. He genuinely wanted to help Wen Jiu become a probationary disciple and join Dead Man Peak, but rules were rules. There was nothing he could do—it was all up to Wen Jiu himself.

Looking at Wang Nian, who was serious yet concerned for him, Wen Jiu felt warmth in his heart. Without hesitation, he responded, "Brother Wang, leave her to me."

Wang Nian nodded, clapped Wen Jiu's shoulder firmly, and said in a deep voice, "Good! Then I'll stay to the side and record everything with a Recording Talisman… Don't worry, if she has some trump card you can't handle, I'll step in immediately."

"Thank you, Brother Wang."

Wen Jiu clasped his hands in gratitude.

When he turned back, his eyes were locked onto the ghost cultivator speeding through the Yin mist. Without hesitation, he leaped down.

Wang Nian wasted no words, immediately tossing out five top-tier first-grade Dispersing Yin Talismans, worth a total of thirty low-grade spirit stones.

But if they could help Wen Jiu, they were worth every bit!

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Boom!

The five talismans detonated in unison, instantly dispersing the Yin mist for hundreds of feet.

The female cultivator's expression changed drastically. She immediately raised a Ghost Head in defense. But when she realized it was just a Dispersing Yin Talisman, she let out a sigh of relief.

Then, seeing that only Wen Jiu, clad in plain cloth, had jumped down—and that the Qi Refining third-level steward was merely observing from above—she immediately understood.

"So you bastards want to use me as a stepping stone?!"

As she spoke, she hurled the Ghost Head toward Wen Jiu.

The Ghost Head instantly transformed into an eight-foot-tall ghostly entity, surging forward with rising power.

It completely overpowered Wen Jiu!

Seeing this, Wang Nian's expression shifted.

This was an elite Yin spirit, nearly at the peak of the second level of Qi Refining!

Just as Wang Nian hesitated over whether to intervene, a sudden explosion rang out—behind the female cultivator, her Black Ghoul erupted with a surge of blood and corpse energy, shattering the Corpse Suppression Talisman that bound it.

Before she could react, the Black Ghoul's razor-sharp claws were already lunging toward her.

She was utterly horrified. "Impossible! That Corpse Suppression Talisman was enough to restrain a high-tier Black Ghoul—how could it fail…?"

Her voice was abruptly cut off.

The Black Ghoul had already pounced!

In desperation, she hastily summoned a black mirror artifact and spewed a mouthful of dense blood essence onto it. The mirror turned crimson, and a surge of blood-red ghostly energy erupted, engulfing the Black Ghoul.

At the same time, the ghostly entity she had summoned turned to attack the Black Ghoul as well.

Despite being enveloped in blood-red light, the Black Ghoul showed no signs of retreat. Instead, its own body began to glow with a crimson sheen.

"Hmph, as expected of a Night Patrol Division disciple—you actually have a ghost artifact!"

But seeing the ghost artifact, Wen Jiu didn't panic at all.

Instead of making his Black Ghoul retreat, he commanded it to charge forward!

Wen Jiu raised his hand and unleashed a dark technique, which shot into the ghoul's body, enhancing its corpse energy to its peak.

Watching this unfold, Wang Nian's heart pounded wildly.

Was this really just the combat prowess of someone at the second level of Qi Refinement? Even if he were to step in, he wasn't sure he'd gain any advantage.

And that ghoul—he clearly remembered that Wen Jiu had only recently cultivated it.

Yet now, it was strong enough to go head-to-head against a ghost artifact and an evil spirit? This kid's talent in unorthodox arts was absolutely monstrous! No wonder he had his eyes on him!

But now wasn't the time to celebrate.

Wang Nian retrieved his own magic weapon, preparing to provide support at any moment. After all, Wen Jiu had only just stepped into the second level of Qi Refinement tonight.

He might be strong.

But there had to be a limit.

In the next moment, the ghoul lunged at the evil spirit, sinking its teeth into its body and swallowing it mouthful by mouthful. No matter how the spirit roared and attacked, the ghoul remained unmoved.

It stood like an unshakable mountain.

Even the surging, blood-colored ghost energy was devoured without hesitation. Watching this, the female cultivator's expression changed drastically.

She tried to retreat.

But after being bitten by the ghoul, she realized she couldn't break free.

Even her ghost artifact couldn't be withdrawn.

"Just how powerful was this ghoul when it was alive?!"

In her understanding, the stronger a body was before death, the stronger the ghoul would be after being refined.

For this mid-tier ghoul to suppress both her ghost artifact and her evil spirit, wouldn't that mean it had to have been cultivated from the corpse of a late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator?

"No! I can't let this continue!" Seeing that she had completely lost control of the situation, the female cultivator decisively abandoned her ghost artifact and evil spirit.

She pulled out several talismans, ready to throw them.

This was her last chance to escape.

However—

A barrage of dark techniques shot toward her from Wen Jiu's fingertips.

She hastily released her ghost energy and threw out talismans to block them, but after a few attempts, she noticed something was off.

Wherever the dark techniques landed, they spread—

Corroding her ghost energy!

And the one that touched her arm seeped into her flesh, writhing through her veins like venomous worms.

It was spreading—faster and faster.

When she tried to use her ghost arts, she found that the moment she attempted to mobilize her ghost energy, it was immediately corroded and devoured by the dark technique.

"You're not from Deadman Peak!" the female cultivator shrieked in terror. In a panic, she hurled every talisman she had accumulated over the years.

Then, she turned and fled.

But—

She didn't get far before she collapsed with a heavy thud.

Lifeless.

Watching this unfold, Wang Nian was utterly shocked. But at the same time, he was overjoyed, as if he had been the one to personally kill the female cultivator.

"Wen kid, well done!"

A fresh Qi Refinement second-layer cultivator.

Yet he had slain a Night Patrol Division spy at the same level.

What kind of achievement was this?

How many official disciples could pull that off?

However, when the still-dumbfounded Wang Nian stepped closer and got a clear look at the female cultivator's corpse, he was startled by the gruesome state of the body, which had been corroded by the dark technique.

He swallowed hard as he glanced at Wen Jiu.

Good thing this kid was from Deadman Peak.

And not an enemy.

…

Before long, a large number of Night Patrol Division disciples arrived.

As for the other two spies, one had been slain by Steward Liu with a single sword strike, while the other had his legs severed and was dragged to the Night Patrol Division's dungeon.

When the patrol members reached Wen Jiu's location and saw the female cultivator's horrific corpse, their faces paled.

This was far worse than having one's legs cut off.

And when they heard from Wang Nian that Wen Jiu had killed her alone, their shock deepened.

Their gazes toward Wen Jiu were no longer the same as before.

Just as Wen Jiu was about to clean up and leave, someone appeared, drawing everyone's attention.

"Deacon Mu!"

"Deacon Mu!"

It was the very Night Patrol Division deacon they had met before.

Besides him—

Li Ye and several other stewards had also arrived.

When Li Ye saw that Wen Jiu had reached the second level of Qi Refinement and sensed the presence of the ghoul behind him—an existence even stronger than Wen Jiu himself—he was stunned.

How was this possible?

It had only been a short time—

Yet Wen Jiu had managed to reach Qi Refinement Level Two through the Yinzhou corpse-nurturing method and had even cultivated a ghoul stronger than himself?

How was this possible?

Even with a talent for unorthodox arts, he shouldn't be this strong!

His spiritual root was clearly just a low-grade one!

While he was still in shock, Deacon Mu of the Night Patrol Division carefully examined the female corpse and the ghoul before speaking.

"Not bad. Very impressive. You've reached the second level of Qi Refinement in just two months using the Yinzhou corpse-nurturing method—your talent in unorthodox arts is remarkable. Your spiritual root may be poor, but your gift for corpse cultivation is undeniable. And now, you've single-handedly taken down a Night Patrol Division traitor. Would you be willing to serve under Mu Canglong?"

As soon as these words fell—

The expressions of the Night Patrol Division disciples stiffened.

Wang Nian was no exception.

But the most shocked of all were Li Ye and the other stewards.